1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bow hunting for game animals such as deer, elk, bear and the like and more particularly, to an arrow-mounted, battery-powered radio transmitter and method of using the transmitter. The transmitter is characterized by a transmitter housing that encases or encapsulates appropriate electronic transmitter components powered by a small battery, an antenna extending from one end of the housing and a curved hook shank, one end of which is mounted in the housing and the other end tapering to define a sharp tip and a barb. The transmitter is designed for insertion in a notch, slot or a hollow cavity or bore provided in an arrow shaft, with the antenna, hook barb and tip protruding from the notch. When the arrow strikes a deer, elk or other game animal, the forwardly-extending hook tip and barb engage the hide, bone or tissue of the animal as the arrow enters, and this action removes the transmitter from the notch or slot in the arrow shaft. Accordingly, whether the arrow flies completely through the game animal or remains embedded and breaks, or ultimately pulls out of the animal, the transmitter is independently secured to the game animal by operation of the hook and barb and is adapted to transmit a radio signal to a compatible portable radio receiver held by the hunter for tracking purposes, in the event that a clean kill is not effected.
One of the problems which exists in the hunting of deer, elk, bear and other game animals with a bow and arrow is that of tracking the animals when the hunter fails to make a clean kill. Since arrows do not effect the heavy impact of bullets and only one opportunity is usually afforded with a single arrow for making a kill, many game animals are wounded rather than immediately killed by the arrow and must be tracked by the hunter. Tracking deer, elk, bear or other game animals which are wounded by an arrow is sometimes difficult, and may be dangerous, particularly in dense brush and woodland, since the wound sometimes closes, leaving a minimal blood trail or no blood trail at all and the animal frequently escapes, only to die later or lie in wait for the hunter.